We Must Not Forget

While the countries of
central and eastern Europe and the former USSR
endured decades of communist oppression, the Church
suffered grave wounds to its spiritual life and
pastoral capacity to serve its people. For
generations Church leaders were killed or imprisoned.
Catechists were persecuted, and churches,
monasteries, and seminaries were closed or
destroyed.

As a result of this severe repression, the Church
was greatly weakened. The bishops of the region are
faced with the formidable task of restoring its
church structures and, more importantly, rebuilding
the spiritual center of its communities.

The Collection for the Catholic Church in Central
and Eastern Europe provides a focal point for
Catholics of the United States to express our
compassion and solidarity with our brothers and
sisters whose faith has endured such great
suffering.

A Beginning

Following a series of unprecedented visits by
three delegations of bishops of the United States to
the region in 1990, the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops (USCCB) organized an Ad Hoc
Committee to Aid the Catholic Church in Central and
Eastern Europe. Now the Subcommittee on the Church in
Central and Eastern Europe, a member of the USCCB
Committee on National Collections, it is comprised
of: Cardinal Justin Rigali, Chairman; Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop John J. Myers,
Archbishop Francis B. Schulte, Archbishop Stefan
Soroka. Father James McCann, S.J. has been the
director since 2003.

The program assists the Church in central and
eastern Europe in restoring its pastoral capacity.
Initiatives include the formation and training of
priests and religious; the development of
catechetical programs, materials, and teachers; the
establishment of mass media and communications
apostolates; and the support of the Church's
charitable works.

The Office also coordinates this assistance with
other aid agencies in the United States and western
Europe. In addition, the Office serves as a
clearinghouse for information on related groups and
organizations that assist the Church.

National
Collection

To provide a resource pool for the numerous
projects of the bishops of central and eastern
Europe, the bishops of the United States voted
unanimously in November 1990 to authorize a national
collection across the country. Many dioceses hold the
collection on Ash Wednesday or on a Sunday during
Lent, while others schedule the collection at another
time.

Through the generosity of Catholic parishioners in
the United States, this Office is able to fund
critical projects in central and eastern Europe for
the restoration and renewal of the Church.

It is a particularly positive sign that in these
difficult and uncertain times, American Catholics
give concrete witness of their compassionate concern
for the universal Church. Their support year after
year of the still-fragile restoration of the Church
in central and eastern Europe fills Catholics there
with confidence and hope in the Gospel.

Please give generously to the Collection for the
Church in Central and Eastern Europe in your parish.
Or, you may wish to send your donation to:

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